Press F8 after Windows starts up. If the Windows Advanced Options menu does not appear, try restarting again and pressing F8 several times afterward.

On the Windows Advanced Option menu, use the arrow keys to select Safe Mode then press Enter.

• For Windows Vista and Windows 7 users

Restart your computer.

Press F8 after the Power-On Self Test (POST) routine is done. If the Advanced Boot Options menu does not appear, try restarting and then pressing F8 several times after the POST screen is displayed.

On the Advanced Boot Options menu, use the arrow keys to select the Safe Mode option, and then press Enter.

Step 3

Delete this registry value

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Important: Editing the Windows Registry incorrectly can lead to irreversible system malfunction. Please do this step only if you know how or you can ask assistance from your system administrator. Else, check this Microsoft article first before modifying your computer's registry.

In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\0

2500 = "3"

In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\1

2500 = "3"

In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\2

2500 = "3"

In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\3

2500 = "3"

In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\4

2500 = "3"

In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet\Explorer\Main

NoProtectedBanner = "1"

To delete the registry value this malware created:

Open Registry Editor. To do this, click Start>Run, type regedit in the text box provided, then press Enter.

In the left panel of the Registry Editor window, double-click the following: HKEY_CURRENT_USER>Microsoft>Windows>CurrentVersion>Internet Settings>Zones>0

In the right panel, locate and delete the entry:2500 = "3"

In the left panel of the Registry Editor window, double-click the following: HKEY_CURRENT_USER>Microsoft>Windows>CurrentVersion>Internet Settings>Zones>1

In the right panel, locate and delete the entry:2500 = "3"

In the left panel of the Registry Editor window, double-click the following: HKEY_CURRENT_USER>Microsoft>Windows>CurrentVersion>Internet Settings>Zones>2

In the right panel, locate and delete the entry:2500 = "3"

In the left panel of the Registry Editor window, double-click the following: HKEY_CURRENT_USER>Microsoft>Windows>CurrentVersion>Internet Settings>Zones>3

In the right panel, locate and delete the entry:2500 = "3"

In the left panel of the Registry Editor window, double-click the following: HKEY_CURRENT_USER>Microsoft>Windows>CurrentVersion>Internet Settings>Zones>4

In the right panel, locate and delete the entry:2500 = "3"

In the left panel of the Registry Editor window, double-click the following: HKEY_CURRENT_USER>Software>Microsoft>Internet>Explorer>Main

In the right panel, locate and delete the entry:NoProtectedBanner = "1"

Close Registry Editor.

Step 4

Restore this modified registry value

[ Learn More ]

[ back ]

Important: Editing the Windows Registry incorrectly can lead to irreversible system malfunction. Please do this step only if you know how or you can ask assistance from your system administrator. Else, check this Microsoft article first before modifying your computer's registry.

In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\0

From: 1609 = "0"To: 1609 = "1"

In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\1

From: 1609 = "0"To: 1609 = "1"

In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\2

From: 1609 = "0"To: 1609 = "1"

In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\3

From: 1609 = "0"To: 1609 = "1"

In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\4

From: 1609 = "0"To: 1609 = "1"

To restore the registry value this malware/grayware modified:

Open Registry Editor. Click Start>Run, type REGEDIT in the text box provided, and then press Enter.

In the left panel, double-click the following: HKEY_CURRENT_USER>Microsoft>Windows>CurrentVersion>Internet Settings>Zones>0

In the right panel, locate the registry value: 1609 = "0"

Right-click on the value name and choose Modify. Change the value data of this entry to: 1609 = "1"

In the left panel, double-click the following: HKEY_CURRENT_USER>Microsoft>Windows>CurrentVersion>Internet Settings>Zones>1

In the right panel, locate the registry value: 1609 = "0"

Right-click on the value name and choose Modify. Change the value data of this entry to: 1609 = "1"

In the left panel, double-click the following: HKEY_CURRENT_USER>Microsoft>Windows>CurrentVersion>Internet Settings>Zones>2

In the right panel, locate the registry value: 1609 = "0"

Right-click on the value name and choose Modify. Change the value data of this entry to: 1609 = "1"

In the left panel, double-click the following: HKEY_CURRENT_USER>Microsoft>Windows>CurrentVersion>Internet Settings>Zones>3

In the right panel, locate the registry value: 1609 = "0"

Right-click on the value name and choose Modify. Change the value data of this entry to: 1609 = "1"

In the left panel, double-click the following: HKEY_CURRENT_USER>Microsoft>Windows>CurrentVersion>Internet Settings>Zones>4

In the right panel, locate the registry value: 1609 = "0"

Right-click on the value name and choose Modify. Change the value data of this entry to: 1609 = "1"

Close Registry Editor.

Step 5

Search and delete these files

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There may be some files that are hidden. Please make sure you check the Search Hidden Files and Folders checkbox in the "More advanced options" option to include all hidden files and folders in the search result.

{All User's Profile}\lsass.exe

{All User's Profile}{random}.pad

%User Startup%\ctfmon.lnk

To delete malware/grayware files:

Search for the following files:

{All User's Profile}\lsass.exe

{All User's Profile}{random}.pad

%User Startup%\ctfmon.lnk

Note: To do a search for the following files, right-click Start then click Search... or Find..., depending on the version of Windows you are running. For each file to be deleted, type its file name in the Named input box. In the Look In drop-down list, select My Computer, then press Enter.

Once located, select the file then press SHIFT+DELETE to permanently delete the file.

Repeat the said steps for all files listed.

Step 6

Restart in normal mode and scan your computer with your Trend Micro product for files detected as TROJ_RANSOM.SMJA. If the detected files have already been cleaned, deleted, or quarantined by your Trend Micro product, no further step is required. You may opt to simply delete the quarantined files. Please check this Knowledge Base page for more information.